Vibratory separator



W. C. COLEMAN VIBRATORY `SEPARA'LOR Filed Sept,- 15, 1924 Dec. 1, 1925.] 1,563,896

` ATTORNEY f Patented Der.s l, 1925,

Application filed.

To @ZZ whom t may concern:

Be it known that l, lILLIAM C. GOLEMAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Wichita, in the county of Sedgwick and State of Kansas, have invented certain new and useful lmprovements in Vibratory Separators; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates-to separators for separating precious metal from ore pulp and the primary object to provide an efficient means for recovering the precious metal from the ore. lt is shown as comprising a vibratory rotor in which are arranged amalgamator plates radially disposed about a common center and a mercury chamber for recovering the precious metal and means is provided for regulating the rate of discharge of the pulp or sand to regulate the flow through the machine.

,letting devices are provided for carrying ott' the sand without carryino` oif the precious metal and the invention consists in certain novel parts and combinations of parts, all of which will be specifically referred to heeinafter, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Fig. 1 is a vertical, longitudinal, sectional view through a machine constructed in accordance with my invention, the vibratory mechanism being shown in elevation, and

Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic plan view showing the etting nozzles.

The device is shown as comprisimg` a rotor consisting of a vertical shell or drum 1 having an open ended cap or cover 2 and a bottom structure 3. The drum or cylindrical wall 1 is provided at its upper end with a ring et, angular in cross section and within the drum is a ring 5, the two being bolted together by bolts (l which pass through both rings and through the wall 1.

Resting upon the angular ring d is a horizontal disk 7 having perforations 8 near its periphery, the ring 1, the disk 7 and the cover 2 being fastened together by bolts 9. The disk 7 has a central collar 10 which is threaded on a collar' 11 carried by the central conduit or tube 12.

The .outer portion of the collar 10 re- September 15, 1924,

Serial No. 737561,

ceives a collar 13 which is part of a tube 1d passing through the cam dish 15 on the support 16. The tube 1d carries a cam 16 cooperating with the cam faces 17 on the cam dislr and the tube is rotated by suitable means as for example by a belt passing' around the pulley 18 fast on tube 1li.

The tubes 12 and 14% constitute a hollow shaft conduit centrally of the machine through which water may be distributed to the radial conduits 20 which are fastened to the manifold 21 at the bottom of the tube 12. The tubes 20 discharge into an annular chamber 22 in the bottom member 3. The chamber' 22 communicates'with a plurality of jets or nozzles 28 arranged incircular series about the ring 24 constituting part of the bottom member 3. i The outer wall 25 of the bottom member 3 extends upwardly beyond the jets and it is spaced from the ring 211 to provide a mercury chamber 26. There is a horizontal flange 27 connected to the ring 211 and eX- tending over the mercury chamber 26 adjacent to the outlet for the jets and the outer wall 25 of the bottom member 3 carries an angular cover 28 having an inwardly and upwardly extending conical flange 29 which is substantially parallel with the down wardly and outwardly disposed conical flange 30 carried by the wall so that a tortuous passageway is provided for the sand admitted through the open cover 2. The bottom member is in spaced relation with the wall 1 but it is secured thereto by the strips 31 vhich are fastened to the wall 1 and to the member 28 by bolts 32 which also secure the bottom cover plate 33 to the bottom member.

VThe mercury chamber may be provided with a pipe or pipes 34 if desired. Vlithin the chamber surrounded by the wall 1 are a plurality of amalgamator plates 35 arranged radially about the pipe 12, the inner edges of the plates 35 beingspaced from the pipe 12 and the spaces between the plates are in line with the openings or perforations 8 so that pulp which, is admitted into the open ended cover 2 may be distributed by the dish 7 into the spaces between the amalgamator plates so the amalgamator plates may separate out some of the precious metal. The plates are clamped between two rings 36 and 37 by bolts 38, the upper ring 36 having lingers 39 which rest upon the ring `5rv lli) The space within the wall l is the amalgamator space as distinct from the mercury chamber 26 and as ore pulp is fed into the cover 2, the rotary action ot the machine will cause the pulp to move, due to centrifugal torce to the perforations 8 and'tlow down through the amalgamator plates 35 onto the valve plate 4:0, carried by the conduit 12 and adjustable vertically by the adjusting nut Ll1 threaded on pipe 12.

The ring 2st has an upwardly and outwardly inclined tace l2 adjacent to the periphery of the valve or gate d0. The periphery ot the valve or gate Ll is in spaced relation with the wall 2e so by adjusting the member 40 vertically, the space between it and the ring 2l will be varied to vary the rate oit discharge trom the vmercury chamber. rlhe ore pulp will tend to paci; at this point but this can berelieved by flowing water through the conduit consisting ot' the pipes l2and ll through the radial conduits 20, through chamber 22 and jets 23 so that the sand which tends to pack will be forced out through the space between the rings 29 and 30, any precious metal in the sand at this point being carried over int-o the mercury chamber 2G. The major portion ot the sandot course will flow out through the space between the valve 4l() and the ring 24e since the bottom member 3 is annular and has a large central opening.

lhile the machine is rotating 'the cam 16 will ride overthe cam faces' 17 et the cam disk 15, these cams being in the term ot sinusoidal curves to cause` a vertical vibratoryv motion' as thel rotor rota-tes. Then ever theV sand tends to' pack at' thebottom ofthe machine, whether it is inv a state of rest or rotating, the water can' be admitted through the central. conduit towash it away and by'providing a slow rate otteedvot the ore pulp through the machine', the amalgamater plates will have ample opportunity to attract' mosti of the precious metal, practically all of the remaining being received in the mercury'chamber.

It is to be understood of course that Vas the machine rotates, the mercury will climb up to the top of the wall 25 so that as the sand is washed out through the space between the flanges 29 and 30 it will pass over the mercury giving the mercury an opportunity t'o absorb the precious metal. I prefer to construct the tubes or conduits 20ct flexible material such as hose and tasten them in place by clamps or similar fasteningI devices d3. The purpose ot using hose is for ease of assembly but I do not wish to be limited to the kuse of lieXible conduits in all constructions of my invention.

It willY beV apparent'from the foregoing that theV ore pulp can be introduced into the top o'i' themachine from the distributor disk 7 where it will be distributed between the amalgamator plates Y and" since these have considerable area, being longitudinally and radially disposed within a relatively deep drum and that. there will be considerable surface area over which the ore pulp passes as it gravitates to the bottom ol the machine and that any metal which the radial, longitudinally disposed amalgamator plates does not attract will be recovered by the mercury in the mercury chamber 26. rThe vibratory action communicated to the machine will cause agitation ot' the ore pulp as it passes therethrough which will prevent the ore pulp from stratiiiying and thereby give the amalgamator plates an opportunityv to act on all of the sand.

lVhat I claim and desire to secure by Letters-Patent is z l. A separator comprising` a rotatable vertically disposed member open at its respective ends, a bottom member connected to the first named member provided with a mercury compartment, radial amalgamator plates in the first member, a distributor above the -amalgamator plates for distributing material into the spaces between the amalgamator plates so that it may gravitate to the bottom member, a valve member on to which the material may be deposited, the valve member being within the bottomrmember and having its periphery spaced from the bottom member, the bottom member being spaced from the first named member, water jets adjacent to the periphery of the first named member at its lower edge, said jets being supportedvby the bottom member and` means for delivering'water to the jets.

2. A. separator comprising a rotatable vertically disposed member open at its respective ends, a bottom member connected to the first' named member provided with a mercury compartment, radial amalgamator plates in the tlrst member, a distributor above the amalgamat'or plates for distributing material intol the spaces between the amalgamator plates so that it may gravitate to the bottom member, a valve member on to which the materia-l may be deposited, the valve member being within the bottom member and having its periphery spaced from vthe bottom member, the bottom member being spaced from the first named member, water jets adjacent to the periphery of the first named member at its lower edge, and adjacent to the mercury compartment in the bottom member.

3. A separator comprising a rotatable vertically disposed member open at its respective ends, a bottom member connected to the irst named member provided with a mercury compartment, radial amalgamator `plates in the first member, a distributor Vabove the amalgamator plates for distributing material into the spaces between the amalgamator plates so that it may gravitate to the bottom member, a valve member on to which the material may be deposited, the valve member being within the bottomf member and having its periphery spaced from the bottom member, the bottom member being spaced from the first named member, 'atei' jets adjacent to the periphery ot the first named member at its lower edge, said jets being supported by the bottom .member and means for delivering water to the jets, and means for vertically vibrating the first and second mentioned members in synchronism during the rotation thereof.

l. A separator comprising a rotatable vertically disposed member open at its respective ends, a bottom member connected to the iirst named member provided with a .mercury compartment, radial amalgamator plates in the lirst member, a distributor above the amalgamator plates 'for distributing 4material into the spaces between the amalgamator plates so that it may gravit-ate to the bottom member, a valve member being within the bottom member and having its periphery spaced from the bottom member, the bottom member being spaced from the iirst named member, water jets adjacent to the periphery of the rst named member at its lower edge and adjacent to the mercury compartment in the bottom member, and means for vertically vibrating the first and second mentioned members in synchronism during the rotation thereof.

5. A separator comprising a vertical drum and a ring-shaped bottom member secured thereto in spaced relation, radial amalgamator plates in the drum, a distributor above the amalgamator plates, a niercury chamber in the bottom member, jetting devices adjacent to the mercury chamber, means for supplying water to the jetting devices and an adjustable valve within the bottom member having a diameter substantially co-e'xtensive with the diameter of the drum.

6. A separator comprising a vertical drum and a rii'igsshaped bottom member secured thereto in spaced relation, radial amalgamator plates in the drum, a distri] utor above the amalgamator plates, a inercury chamber in the bottom member, jetting devices adjacent to the mercury chamber, means for supplying water to the jetting devices and an adjustable falvc within the bottom member having a diameter substantially coextensive with the diameter ot the drum, said valve comprising a disk axially supported within the bottom member.

T. A separator comprising a vertical rotatable drum having an inlet at its top and an outlet at its bottom., amalgamator plates in the drum, a. ring shaped bottom member connected to the drum having a mercury chamber, a valve in spaced relation with the bottom of the drum having a diameter substantially co-extensive with the diameter oi the drum but spacedvtheretrom so as to provide an outlet space between the valve and the drum and jetting devices in the ring-shaped member adjacent to the mercury chamber.

S. A separator comprising a vertically disposed rotatable drum open at its respective ends, the upper end being the inlet opening' and the lower end the discharge opening, a ring-shaped member suspended from the lower portion of the drum in spaced relation thereto, jetting devices carried by the member and discharging adjacent to the space between the bottom member and the drum and a disk supported within the bottom member and having an edge spaced from the bottom member and from the drum.

9. A separator comprising a rotatable drum, vertically disposed radial amalgama tor plates in the drum grouped about a common center space, means for feeding the material into the space between the amalgamator plates, a ring-shaped member suspended in spaced relation from the bottom of the drum, the bottom of the drum and riifig-shaped member having spaced overlapping flanges i and jetting devices adjacent to the lianges and a disk supported axially of the drum and bottom member in spaced relation with both upon which material may be gravitated `trom the drum.

l0. A separator comprising a rotatable drum, vertically disposed radial amalgama tor plates in the drum grouped about a common center space, means for feeding the material into the space between the amalgamator plates, a ring-shaped member suspended in spaced relation from the bottom of the drum, the bottom of the drum and ring-sl'iaped member having spaced overlapping langes and jetting devices adjacent to the flanges and a disk supported axially ofthe drum and bottom member in spaced relation with both upon which material may be gravitated from the drum, the ringsliaped member having an inner outwardly inclined wall and means for adjusting the disk.

1l.. A separator comprising a vertical drum, means ior rotating the drum, the drum having an inlet at its top, a distributor in the top of the drum, amalgamator plates in the drum, a disk supported below thc open bottom of the drum, al ring-shaped bottom member surrounding the disk having an annular mercury chamber, a lateral flange carried by the bottom member eX- tending over a portion of the mercury chamber and spaced overlapping flanges on the llO lower edge of the drum ,and on lib@ bOtOHl member.

i4 masias@ l2. A separator comprising a vertical drum, means Vfor rotating the drum, the drum havingan inlet at its top, a clistribntor in the top of the drum, amalgamator plates in the drum, a disk supported below the open bottomof the drum, a ringshaped botto-1n member surrounding the disk havingan annular mercury Chamber, a lateral flange carried by the bottom member eX- tencling over a portion' kof the mercury 10 chamber and spaced overlapping flanges on the lower edgeV of the drum and on the bottom member, and jetting,` devices adjacent to the flanges.

In testimony whereof I` aix my signal5 ture.

WILnrAivr o. ooLEMAN. 

